Driving Lessons - An Octonauts Story (complete)

Chapter Two - Decisions

Tweak, as predicted, was not happy. At all. Shellington, after sheepishly radioing the Octopod for help (again) had endured the pitying looks of his fellow Octonauts at the state of the Gup when the Captain came to pick him up in the Gup C. Shellington hoped that Tweak would be busy when they arrived back, but no such luck. The Captain radioed Tweak to open the Octo Hatch and after a pause, the Octo Hatch opened and the Gup C entered, towing the broken Gup D behind it. The look on the engineer's face as she surveyed the damage with a growing frown was enough to make Shellington gulp at his inevitable doom. As the Captain got out of the Gup C, Shellington nervously followed him, looking down at the floor as he walked up the Launch Bay to avoid looking at anyone. Eventually though he had to look up to stop from bumping into anyone. What followed next was expected: Tweak looking daggers at him and the pitying look of the captain. Shellington smiled sheepishly at the engineer.

"Hey Tweak. Er - what's up?"

The rabbit was seething inside, and as Shellington stopped in front of her she glared at him.

"I'll tell you 'what's up' Shellington. What do you think is up? Go on. Enlighten me."

Shellington had to think fast. What would be best to say to a furious bunny?

"I... crashed the Gup D again." Probably best to keep to the basics.

"And guess who has to fix it? Again."

"You, I know." Before Tweak could continue Shellington interrupted knowing he had to try and salvage the situation. "I'm sorry Tweak, I don't mean to keep crashing the Gups. I'm just not a very good driver."

He thought he saw Tweak' s look soften a little at his sincere apology. He kept his eyes lowered, but after a moment glanced up at the Captain to see what he would say.

"Shellington you can't keep breaking the Gups like this. It's not fair on Tweak having to fix them all the time every time you crash them," Captain Barnacles told him. Shellington nodded.

"How about I fix the Gup D? It doesn't look that bad and it would give Tweak a break," Shellington offered meekly.

At this the responses from both Tweak and the Captain were simultaneous.

"No way, you are not getting near my workshop," Tweak immediately told him adamantly with a defensive look on her face.

"Maybe that's not such a good idea." The Captain looked at Shellington and smiled reassuringly at him. "How about you go and clean up your lab? We'll come to a decision about what to do about this later."

Shellington nodded and headed for the Octo Chute sensing tension behind him. He didn't risk a look back at Tweak knowing she needed time to calm down and simmer a bit. Once he had gone the Captain turned to Tweak.

"We need to do something about this. All the Octonauts should be trusted behind the steering wheel and with his habit to crash, Shellington is a danger to himself and other sea creatures."

"But what can we do? It's not as if Shellingtons deliberately trying to crash - he's not even driving fast," Tweak conceded. Barnacles cast a look at the ruined Gup then back at Tweak.

"Are you all right to fix this up? I can get the Vegimals to help out if you need."

Tweak shook her head. "No it's fine. It's not too damaged really. I just got angry at Shellington because... it just makes me so mad when he comes back every single time with a damaged Gup!"

Barnacles nodded in agreement and sympathy. "Yes. We need a solution to stop this happening for good."

As Tweak set to work on the Gup D with her hammer, the Captain walked thoughtfully along the Launch Bay. Maybe there was something they could do after all to help Shellington...

Shellington up in his lab was feeling a little forlorn. He was going to get punished for this he knew. His paws fumbled over a test tube and it dropped to the floor and smashed. It was true. He broke everything he came into contact with! Maybe he was just clumsy. He set to work sweeping up the glass, as he did so worrying about what Tweak would do to him later. She usually got over these things pretty fast but you never knew. Maybe he wouldn't be allowed out of the Octopod alone any more. Shellington would hate that. He enjoyed being outside in the open ocean just taking in the peace, he would hate not being allowed to do that any more. When the lab was once again spotless he sat on a stool and thought for a moment. He might as well go up to the HQ and see if there was anything he could do up there. Dashi might be there as well, she was always pretty good at making him feel better when he was sad. Shellington hopped into an OctoChute to take him to the HQ, thinking as he went.

Shellington had warmed up with a cup of hot chocolate and some kind words from Dashi and was sitting at his desk next to the friendly dog absent mindedly checking through reports on different animals as he liked to do sometimes. He was so engrossed that he nearly didn't notice the familiar sound of the Octo Alert going off until it sounded right in his ear. Dashi had sat up to attention straight away and was waiting for command, Shellington did the same.

"Octonauts, to the HQ." The Captains voice was more relaxed than it was when there was a disaster and Shellington was reassured. Then he realized that the meeting could be about him and tensed up all over again, scenarios running through his head.

"Shellington?" The scientist was jerked out of his reverie by the soft voice of Dashi. He looked up, her warm eyes met his. "C'mon, let's go see what he wants." Shellington nodded and followed her to the meeting point in the HQ, where the other Octonauts were already gathering. The Captain waited until everyone had stopped talking then spoke with authority.

"As you know Shellington has a little ... problem with his driving skills at the moment." Shellington flushed with shame as Kwazii agreed.

"Yar you can say that again matey!" Shellington dropped his head to the ground and felt like he could run away until he felt the warm presense of Dashi next to him. He lifted his head and was met by her small smile. He couldn't help smiling back and was given the courage to look up at the other Octonauts. The lack of jeering filled him with confidence and he spoke with an easy laugh that was slightly forced.

"Yes it's true, I've never been the best driver." There were laughs - but with him, sympathetically - and Shellington felt a rush of love for his teammates, his family.

"So we have come up with a solution," Barnacles continued. Shellington felt nervous, this was what he had been worried about. He was so absorbed in thinking about what it could be that he nearly missed the Captain announcing the solution.

"Driving lessons."

Shellington looked up with a growing smile on his face. This was better than he had expected, much better. "You mean, you'll help me?"

"Of course we will. We're your family!" This was Dashi beside him. Even Tweak was smiling. Shellington suddenly felt excited to get started.

"So when do my lessons start?"

The Captain looked out at the waters, then turned back.

"Tomorrow. Who wants to start Shellington off?"

There was a silence, then Dashi raised her hand.

"I'd be happy to." Her smile was warm and Shellington smiled gratefully at his friend. The Captain nodded, the decision made.

"Then you start tomorrow. Good luck Dashi!"

Dashi laughed, and went to sit down at her post at the desk. She flashed a look back at Shellington.

"You better be a good student."

"I will, Dashi." Shellington promised. And he would try. He really would.

Shellington' s in the dog house! But now the lessons begin... hope you enjoy!